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3 1262 08486 7729 

Registry No. 215-14 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

BUTTONHOLE INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1933 

W-E DO OU~ PART 

-· J 

u 

The Code for the Buttonhole Industry 

in its present form merely reflects the proposal of the above-mentioned 

industry, and none of the provisions contained therein are 

to be regarded as having received the approval of 

the National Recovery Administration 

as applying to this industry 

1.JNITED STATES 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1933 

For ale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D .C. Price 6 cents 

✓ 
SUBMITTED BY 

NATIO:NAL BUTTONHOLE l\IAKERS' ASSOCIATION 

(Ill 
PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE 

BUTTONHOLE INDUSTRY 

To effectuate the policy of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, during the period of the emergency, by reducing and 

relieving unemployment, improving the standards of labor, eliminating competitive and trade practices destructive of the interests of 

the public, employees, and employers; rehabilitating the industry 

and otherwise to improve the condition of the Buttonhole Industry 

and in other respects to foster the best interests of this industry and 

those engaged in or having connection therewith, the following provisions are established as a Code of Fair Competition for the Industry : 

I-DEFINITIONS 

As used herein, the term "Buttonhole Industry" shall include all 

manufacturers of buttonholes and eyelets on women's wearing 

apparel. 

The terin "employer" or "manufacturer" shall mean all person 

who employ labor. 

The term " employees " shall mean all persons employed in the 

shops or factories conducted in this industry by such employers 

engaged in the making of buttonholes and eyelets. 

The term "person" shall mean any individual, partnership, or 

corporation. 

The term" manufacturing employer", as used herein, shall include 

all employers who work in their shops or factories. 

The term "effective date" shall mean the first Monday following 

the expiration of a week after the President's approval shall have 

been given to this Code. 

Wherever the term" President" is used, it shall refer to the President of the United States. 

II-OFFICIAL AGENCY 

In order that the President of the United States may be informed 

of the extent of observance of the provisions of thi Code and of 

the extent to which the declared policy of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, as stated herein, is being effectuated in the Buttonhole 

Industry, all persons subject to the jurisdiction of this Code shall, 

at its request, make, periodically, reports as hereinafter provided. 

The Executive Board of the National Buttonhole Makers Association, 

570 Seventh Avenue New York City, i hereby con tituted the agency 

to provide for the collection and receipt of such reports. It shall 

be the general planning and coordinating agency for the Indu try. 

The Executive Board shall forward the sub tance of all reports to 

the President; the Board to provide for receiving and holding such 

reports themselves in confidence. Such report hall be in such form 

9720-33 (1) 
2 

and shall be furnished at such intervals as shall be prescribed by 

the Board, and shall contain such information relevant to the purposes of this Code as shall be prescribed by the Board from time to, time, including information with respect to the following or related 

subjects: 

(a) Membership, hours, wages, and wage rates. 

(b) Production, orders, and billings. 

( c) Financial and cost data. 

( d) Activity, purchases, sales, and scrapping of machinery. 

( e) Application shall be made by persons desiring to enter the· 

Buttonhole Industry to the Executive Board, and said Board shall 

forward said applications, with its recommendations, to the President. 

(f) The Executive Board shall have full power to make rules and 

regulations necessary for the administration and enforcement of this 

Code. 

(g) Upon complaint of interested parties, or upon its own initiative, the Executice Board may make such inquiry and investigation 

into the operation of the Code as it may deem necessary. 

(h) It shall recommend to the Industry from time to time, modifications of the hours for operating productive machinery as established by this Code or curtailment of the number of operating 

machines. Such recommendations to the Industry shall be operativeas part of this Code, provided ( 1) they do not vitiate the main provisions of this Code and (2) are approved by at least seventy (70%) 

percent of the members affected. 

(i) The Executive Board may require from all persons engaged 

in the manufacture of buttonholes and eyelets registration of 

machines engaged in this industry. 

(j) The Executive Board may delegate any of its authority by 

designating an agent, or agents, as it shall determine. 

(k) The Executive Board, in cooperation with and subject to theapproval of the President of the United States, may (1) from time 

to time submit supplemental provisions, amendments, or revisions 

to this Code or additional Codes, as it may deem necessary. 

(1) The Association imposes no inequitable restrictions on admission to membership therein, and is truly representative of the Buttonhole Industry. 

III-CHILD LABOR 

On and after the effective date employers shall not employ any 

person under the age of sixteen (16) years. 

IV-J\1rNIMUM WAGE 

On and after the effective date the minimum wage that shall be 

paid by any employer to any employee for every working hour shall 

be as follows : 

Per hour For making mannish buttonholes ___________ · ________ _______ $0. 75 

For makino· straight Singer buttonhole ____________________ . 50 

For making eyelet buttonholes_____________________________ . t.;O 

Unskilled labor shall be paid a minimum wage of $12.00 per week. 
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V-HOURS OF LABOR 

On and after the effective date, no employer shall employ any 

employee in excess of forty ( 40) hours per week. This does not 

include office help and salesmen. 

The employer or employee cannot work in his shop or factory 

after the regular shop hours. 

Factories or shops shall be open every day of the week, except 

Saturday and Sunday, at 8.30 .a.m. and operate until 5.30 p.m., 

with the exception of one hour for lunch. 

VI-PARTICIPATION 

An employer must participate in this Code and in any rev1s10ns 

or additions thereto, and receive the benefits thereof. He shall 

accept the proper pro rata share of the cost and responsibility of 

creating or administering it, either by becoming a m.ember of the 

National Buttonhole Makers Association, or, by paying to it an 

amount equal to the dues, from time to time provided to be paid, by a 

member of the Nation.al Buttonhole Makers Association. 

VII-CORRECT RECORDS 

Every employer shall keep clear and correct books and records 

jn order that he sh.all comply with the provisions set forth in this 

Code with correctness and dispatch. 

VIII-RELATIONS w ITH w ORKERS 

As required by Section 7 (a) of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, the following provisions are hereby made conditions 

of this Code : 

"(1) That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain 

collectively through representatives of their own choosing and shall 

be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of 

labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or 

in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose 

of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; (2) that 

no employee and no one seeking employment shall be required as a 

condition of employment to join any company union or to refrain 

from joining, organizing, or assisting in a labor organization of his 

own choosing; and (3) that employers shall comply with the maximum hours of labor, minimum rules of pay, and other conditions of 

employment approved or prescribed by the President." 

IX-UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION 

Any violation of any provision or provisions of this Code, or of 

any accepted rule issued thereunder, is declared to be an unfair 

method of competition. The following trade practices are hereby 

declared to be detrimental to the welfare of those engaged in the 

Buttonhole Industry and, therefore, are unfair methods of competition: 
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( 1) Making false and derogatory reference- written, oral, or 

_printed-of competitors or their products. 

(2) Circulating harmfuf rumors regarding competitors' products 

or personal or financial representation. 

(3) Incorporating in advertisting false or derogatory references 

to the products of competitors or misleading comparisons therewith. 

( 4) Working or offering work to customers below cost, plus a 

reasonable profit. 

(5) Enticing employees away from a competitor without his con- sent, for the purpose of injuring said competitor. 

(6) Selling at a discount greater than two (2% ) percent, for payment on the 15th day of the month following shipment. 

(7) Continuing to sell to customers who habitually · and unjustifiably n1.ake claims. 

(8) Continuing to sell to customers who habitually refuse to pay 

the agreed price for merchandise, in accordance with order. 

(9) Giving secret or open rebates, refunds, or special discount in 

any form to any purchaser, his representative or agent, on any 

condition whatsoever. 

(10) Securing or attempting to secure, illicitly, information regarding com.petitor, his method of doing business, lists of his customers, etc. 

( 11) Giving certain customers confidential prices, special services 

or privileges. 

(12) Furnishing customers articles other than the product of the 

factory or shop of the members of this Code at unreasonable prices 

for the purpose of affecting or defeating the terms of this Code. 

( 13) Deviating from announced or published price lists, directly 

or indirectly, in any guise, by allowance of rebates, refunds, commissions, or discounts. 

(14) Paying or promising to pay to employees or representatives 

of a customer or prospective customer comn1.issions in the form of 

n1.oney or in the form of an article of value for the purpo e of 

inducing or compensating for a sale. (This does not apply to ordinary Christmas gifts.) 

( 15) Not adhering to the terms of sale as provided in the order 

placed by a customer. 

(16) Not enforcing collection on a due date in accordance with the 

terms of an order. 

(17) Indulging in commercial bribery in any form. 

X-No PENDING CoNTRACTS 

No manufacturer shall make contracts with cu t01ners-with price 

quotations-whil~ the adoption of this Code is pending, except subject to the provisions of this Code. 

XI-STABILIZING PRI ES 

As the Buttonhole Indu. try is entirely one of s rvice to ot~1 r 

industries which it serYes; and, as it is practically a worker u 1ng 

the material of it cu tomer in the manufacture of it product, 

labor form the main part of it expen e. Pending the duration of 
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this Code, therefore, the following shall be the m1n11num prices 

charged: 

Per lwndre{l 

Straight buttonholes ______________________________________ $1.00 

Eyelets-------------------------------------------------- . 75 

Mannish buttonholes (dresses)----------------------------- 1. 25 

Mannish buttonholes (cloaks)----------------------------- 1. 50 

~Iannish buttonholes ( children's cloaks)------------------- 1. 25 

XII 

This Code is not designed to promote monopolies or to eliminate 

or oppress small enterprises, and will not operate to discriminate 

against them. It is designed for the protection of consumers, factories, employees, and others, and in furtherance of the public 

interest. 

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